Hydrofuel



R. B. COX

HYDROFUEL Sept. 19, 1961 Filed Aug. 51. 1953 CALCIUM LITHIUM On .2- Ow LINE OF 0% LITHIUM LINE OF 0% CALCIUM LINE OF 0% BARIUM BARIUM LIQUIDUS ISOTHERMS FOR LITHIUM- CALCIUM-BARIUM ALLOYS 1N VEN TOR. ROBEE 7' B. COX

A TTORIVE Y 3,000,732 HYDROFUEL Robert B. Cox, Pomona, Califi, assignor to Aerojet-General Corporation, Azusa, Calif., a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 31, 1953, Ser. No. 377,509 5 Claims. (Cl. 75-134) This invention relates to a jet propulsion fuel and in particular to an alloy hydrofuel composition.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hydrofuel which is spontaneously ignitable in water, has a high specific gravity, and a high eneregy content per unit weight and per unit volume.

A further object of this invention is to produce a hydrofuel which has a low melting point, is low in cost and may be handled with ease and with safety.

Numerous attempts have been made to produce a hydrofuel with properties which permit its use in underwater propulsion devices. Sodium-potassium alloys have been used and chemically active molten pure metals with low melting points have heretofore been suggested for this purpose. However, sodium-potassium alloy is deficient in energy and of all the pure metals, only lithium possesses a sufficiently low melting point and a sufficiently high energy content to be of any practical use. Lithium, however, is expensive and difficult to obtain and although its melting point is low, being of the order of about 360 F., it is nevertheless still high enough to cause numerous technical difiiculties when employed as a hydrofuel.

Considerable time and complicated equipment is required in order to melt the fuel and keep it in molten form. Moreover the heat irradiated from the molten lithium provides numerous handling problems.

I have discovered an improved hydrofuel having a lithium base which possesses a low melting point, is relatively inexpensive and may be handled with ease and with safety. My novel hydrofuel is a lithium, calcium, and barium alloy. I have discovered that a high energy density, low melting, water ignitable alloy is obtained when lithium, barium and calcium, are mixed within the following ranges:

Percent by Weight Lithium 35 to 5 5 Barium 25 to 45 Calcium to 35 Reference to the accompanying drawing will reveal that alloys within this range all possess melting points below about 270 F. This represents a difference of nearly 100 F. in melting point from pure lithium and a saving of approximately 50% of the metal in the propellant fuel.

I atent O From the drawing it may be seen that an infinite number of alloys within the ranges set forth above may be compounded. However, it has been found that the specific proportions of eutectics set forth below are particularly useful:

Composition, percent by weight Melting Point, F.

Lithium Calcium Barium The alloys of this invention are compounded by melting the component metals in the desired proportions under an inert atmosphere with accompanying stirring to insure complete dispersion. After complete mixing has occurred the alloy is cast in molds of appropriate shape and permitted to cool. The solid ingots are then stored under air tight anhydrous conditions. The ingots may be stored until needed in either water-proof air-tight containers or under non-reactive organic liquids such as white mineral oil.

Since modifications and variations may obviously be made in the lithium fuel of the present invention, it is intended that the examples in the above description and the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as being merely illustrative and not imposing any limitations upon the invention.

I claim:

1. A low melting, high energy content lithium alloy hydrofuel consisting of from about 35% to by weight of lithium, 25% to 45% by Weight of barium, and 10% to 35% by weight of calcium.

2. A low melting, high energy content lithium alloy hydrofuel consisting of 46% lithium by weight, 14% calcium by weight, and 40% barium by weight.

3. A low melting, high energy content lithium alloy hydrofuel consisting of 44% lithium by weight, 16% calcium by weight, and 40% barium by weight.

4. A low melting, high energy content lithium alloy hydrofuel consisting of 42% lithium by weight, 16% calcium by weight, and 42% barium by weight.

5. A low melting, high energy content lithium alloy hydrofuel consisting of 44% lithium by weight, 18% calcium by weight, and 38% barium by weight.

No references cited. 

1. A LOW MELTING, HIGH ENERGY CONTENT LITHIUM ALLOY HYDROFUEL CONSISTING OF FROM ABOUT 35% TO 55% BY WEIGHT OF LITHIUM, 25% TO 45% BY WEIGHT OF BARIUM, AND 10% TO 35% BY WEIGHT OF CALCIUM. 